A Lower Earley man has become the first in the Berkshire West policing area to be arrested and charged under new extreme pornography laws.

John Oakley, 67, also faces charges relating to child pornography and will appear in court next month.

He has been charged with making 714 indecent images of children, possessing six indecent images of children, distributing an indecent image of a child, and possessing extreme pornography.

It is the first arrest in the Berkshire West Basic Command Unit for possessing extreme pornography since new laws came into effect in January.

Oakley has been bailed to appear at Reading Magistrates’ Court on May 6.

Detective Constable Alastair Bagshaw, of Loddon Valley Serious Crime Team, said: “The Criminal Justice and Immigration Act 2008, which came into effect in January this year, makes it an offence for anybody to be in possession of certain sorts of violent pornography.

“It was brought in following the murder of Jane Longhurst in 2003, who originally came from the Reading area.

“Her mother, Liz Longhurst, from Reading, campaigned hard to criminalise violent pornography after Jane’s killer was said to have been interested in it.”